Conventionally various types of medical apparatus, such as an X-ray diagnostic apparatus, an X-ray computed-tomography (X-ray CT) apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, a nuclear medicine apparatus, a radiotherapy treatment apparatus, a shock wave treatment apparatus, or a warm temperature treatment apparatus are used for contributing to medical improvements of illness diagnosis, progress observation or medical treatment. For instance, an X-ray diagnostic apparatus, an X-ray CT apparatus, an MRI apparatus, and a nuclear medicine apparatus are used for obtaining a medical image of a patient for diagnosis. A radiotherapy apparatus, a shock wave treatment apparatus, and a warm temperature treatment apparatus are used for treating a part of a patient.
A hospital where these apparatuses are installed is systematized for saving medical staff's labors. The medical staff is specialized. Usually, each of these medical apparatuses is placed in a specific examination room or a treatment room (hereinafter both rooms are simply referred as an “inspection room”). To be imaged or treated, a patient is carried into the inspection room on a stretcher. In such a situation, after a medical staff checks a patient name, a doctor obtains a medical image of the patient or treats the patient. Before imaging or treating, individual information of a patient, such as a patient ID, name, sex, or a birth date, and condition information for imaging or treating (hereinafter called “inspection condition information”), are inputted into a medical apparatus.
A conventional medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-269117, has two input devices. Each input devices has the same function. One of the input devices is placed in a room where an operator operates the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, and the other is installed on a gantry of the medical diagnostic imaging apparatus. A system including these two input devices is called as a double console system. By these input devices, a staff can input and refer to a patient's individual information and inspection condition information.
In addition, there is an identification (ID) system, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-311194, for identifying a particular patient. To identify the patient by this ID system, the patient has a non-contacting data career for storing an individual data. A portable reading device reads the individual data. According to the ID system, misidentification of a patient, especially an inpatient, may be decreased.
However, when a patient name is checked by the double console system, it is difficult for a busy medical staff to find a particular patient name among a multiplicity of information, e.g., patient's individual information, such as a patient ID, a name, sex, birth date, and inspection condition information, and so on. For example, in operating an X-ray CT apparatus, the patient name has to be found out from a plurality of inspection condition information, such as insertion direction information (whether a patient is inserted from a leg or a head to a gantry), field of view (FOV) information, X-ray tube current information and imaging part, e.g., head or leg information (in addition to the patient's individual information). Also operating in an MRI apparatus, the patient name has to be found out from a plurality of inspection condition information, such as insertion direction information, field of view (FOV) information, pulse sequence information, e.g., repetition time and imaging part, e.g., head or leg information in addition to the patient's individual information of the patient. Initially, an operator inputs the patient's individual information and the inspection condition information by a console provided in a room outside an inspection room. Next, using the other console placed at a gantry, a medical staff in the inspection room where the apparatus is placed, searches information of a patient who will be imaged or treated. Further the medical staff has to pick up the patient's individual information related to the searched patient. Accordingly, since each console in the conventional double console system has the same function, it is very hard to check the patient's individual information, such as the patient name.
The identification system is complex to operate, and additionally it requires great initial investment and is expensive to operate.